Crowthorne Chess Club holds three regular annual tournaments: the Christmas Handicap, the Khyber Cup and, reintroduced in the 2022/23 season, the Club Championship.

The Club Championship in the inaugural season was held as a 10-player all-play-all competition, in future years the format may vary depending on the number of entries.

In the Christmas Handicap each game lasts 15 minutes in total but the time apportioned to each player is calculated based on the difference of their grades. Thus equally rated players get 7:30 minutes each, and if there is a difference of (for example) 30 ECF points the higher rated player gets 3 minutes and the lower rated player gets 12. The winner of the tournament is awarded the Harvey-Ironside Speed Handicap Shield for a year.

The Khyber Cup is a rapidplay tournament held on a summer’s day, and the winner is awarded the John Purkis shield(!) for a year.

We play in the various team competitions organised by the Berkshire Chess and the Surrey Border Chess associations, and in recent years we have had teams in the 4NCL.

Historically, Crowthorne entered the ECF’s National Club competition.

In the tables below, the year given is for when the season is completed. For example, for 2014 read 2013/2014 season.

Crowthorne Chess Club Championship
Season Winner
1987 Paul Gillham & Richard Webb
1988 Richard Webb
2023 Harvey Duckers
Harvey-Ironside Shield (Christmas Handicap)
Year Winner Runner Up
1988 J Purkis C Callow
1989 R Webb M Saunders
1990 R Webb P Gillham
1991 S Freitag J Boreham
1992 R Webb G Ironside
1993 R Webb P Gillham
1994 J Ramsdale D Cummings
1995 N Coates K Coates
1996 R Webb P Ash
1997 R Webb A Coates
1998 J Welton P Larwood
1999 N Coates R Pigeon
2000 G Ironside J Welton
2001 C Fell R Webb
2002 A Coates S Dishman
2003 N Coates D Stallan
2004 P Larwood I Thompson
2005 S Gane R Turner
2006 R Webb J Welton
2007 J Welton J Upham
2008 R Webb A Strait
2009 R Webb I Murray
2010 I Thompson R Turner
2011 Alfred Wong I Murray
2012 David Hemmings Robert Starley
2013 Robert Starley Louise Head
2014 David Herring Anthony Zhang
2015 Colin Purdon Louise Head
2016 James Love Colin Purdon
2017 Ian Thompson James New
2018 Richard Webb Scott Leadbetter
2019 Bob Pigeon Andy Pollock
2020 Arjit Das Louse Head & Harvey Duckers
2021 Scott Leadbetter Daniel Shek
2022 Ashton Grimmett Shree Rao
2023 Dylan De Silva David Purle
John Purkis Shield (Khyber Cup)
Year Winner
1984 R Webb
1985 R Webb
1986 R Webb
1987 R Webb
1988 R Webb
1989 R Webb & R Pigeon
1990 R Webb
1991 R Webb & K Norman
1992 R Webb
1993 K Norman
1994 A Aslett
1995 R Abayasekara
1996 Event not held
1997 Event not held
1998 I Thompson
1999 K Norman
2000 P de Laubadere
2001 R Webb
2002 S Dishman
2003 R Webb
2004 K Norman
2005 P Tart
2006 R Webb
2007 K Coates
2008 R Webb
2009 R Webb & C Purdon
2010 R Webb & D Johnson
2011 R Webb
2012 K Coates
2013 A Marley
2014 R Webb
2015 C Purdon
2016 K Coates
2017 K Coates
2018 R Webb & C Purdon
2019 R Webb
2020 R Webb
2021 D Johnson
2022 D Johnson
2023 D Johnson, R Webb, H Duckers & K Coates
Berkshire Chess Association
Year Event Won Team
1976 Division 2 Crowthorne A
1981 Jubilee Plate Crowthorne
1988 Jubilee Plate Crowthorne
1989 Division 2 Crowthorne B
1990 Jubilee Plate Crowthorne
1991 Jubilee Plate Crowthorne
1992 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1993 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1993 Division 3 Crowthorne C
1993 Division 2 (jointly with 2 other teams) Crowthorne B
1993 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1994 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1995 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1995 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1996 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1997 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1997 Division 1 (jointly with Camberley) Crowthorne A
1998 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
1998 Division 3 Crowthorne C
1998 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1999 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2000 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2000 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2001 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2001 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2002 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2003 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2004 Division 1 Crowthorne B
2005 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne
2005 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2007 Division 3 Crowthorne C
2009 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne A
2010 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2012 Division 4 Crowthorne E
2012 Division 3 Crowthorne D
2013 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne A
2015 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne A
2018 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne A
2018 Division 4 Crowthorne C
2018 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2023 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2023 Premier Precision Trophy Crowthorne A

The Jubilee Plate and Premier Precision Trophy competitions are knockout events. Since 2002 the Jubilee Plate has been called the Mick Tarrant Trophy.

Surrey Border Chess League
Year Event Won Team
1986 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
1989 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
1989 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1991 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
1992 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne
1992 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1993 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1994 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
1994 Division2 Crowthorne B
1996 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1997 Division 1 Crowthorne A
1998 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
1999 Division 5 Crowthorne E
2000 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
2000 Division 4 Crowthorne D
2000 Division 3 Crowthorne C
2000 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2000 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2001 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
2001 Division 1 Crowthorne B
2002 Bell Trophy Crowthorne B
2002 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
2003 Bell Trophy Crowthorne B
2003 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
2004 Bell Trophy Crowthorne B
2004 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne A
2004 Division 4 Crowthorne D
2004 Division 1 Crowthorne A
2005 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne
2005 Division 5 Crowthorne E
2005 Division 4 Crowthorne D
2006 Division 5 Crowthorne D
2007 Bell Trophy Crowthorne
2009 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2010 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne C
2011 Division 4 Crowthorne D
2012 Division 4 Crowthorne D
2013 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne B
2013 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2015 Bell Trophy Crowthorne A
2017 Haslemere Trophy Crowthorne B
2017 Division 6 Crowthorne E
2017 Division 3 Crowthorne C
2017 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2018 Division 6 Crowthorne D
2022 Division 2 Crowthorne B
2023 Joe French Cup Bob Pigeon
2023 Rapidplay Division Crowthorne A

The Haslemere Trophy and Bell Trophy are knockout competitions. The Joe French Cup is awarded for the best individual performance in the Surrey Border League.

Four Nations Chess League (4NCL)
Year Event Won Team
2019 Division 4 South Crowthorne 1
2022 Division 4 South (2nd place) Crowthorne 1

National Club
Year Event Won Team
1995 Plate Crowthorne